Recently, digital still cameras and video cameras capable of recording picture data digitally by using a hard disk or a DVD have been widely spread, and users can easily take pictures of subjects by using these equipment. Also, as a result of increased capacity of recording media and digitalization of picture data, moving picture data of a long time period and massive still picture data can be recorded.
Although massive picture data can be thus easily recorded, a conventional device can record picture data alone. Therefore, when a user reproduces picture data that he or she has recorded, it may be difficult to determine when and where the picture data is captured.
Accordingly, a user performs, after recording picture data, an editing work of the picture data for adding information such as a date and a place of the capture to the picture data.
For easing such an editing work, a digital camera or a video camera in which information such as a date and a place of the capture is added to picture data to be recorded has been known (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 9-65268, 2001-157163, 2001-211364 and 2001-292411).
Although information such as a date and a place of the capture is necessary for the editing work performed after recording the picture data, a user knows the date and the place while he or she is actually taking pictures. Therefore, such information is not significant for the user while he or she is actually taking pictures.
On the other hand, in taking pictures in an event in which a plurality of event items are successively held with time, such as a sports meeting, a user (cameraman) sometimes checks which sport is being played with reference to a program of the sports meeting. In other words, while he or she is actually taking pictures of the sports meeting, necessary information for the user is not information such as a date and a place of the sports meeting but information about the progress of the sports meeting.
Furthermore, in the case where pictures are taken in, for example, a sight-seeing resort, if a user can be informed of information about the sight-seeing resort, he or she can take pictures in an appropriate composition on the basis of the information or can take pictures of all sights that should not to be missed (such as places of scenic beauty and historic interest). In other words, while a user is actually taking pictures in a sight-seeing resort, information about the sight-seeing resort is necessary information for the user.
The present invention was devised in consideration of these situations, and an object is improving convenience for a user by providing necessary information for the user while he or she is taking pictures.